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Prenatal diagnosis of fetal heart failure in twin reversed arterial perfusion syndrome
Author(s) -
Osborn Perry,
Gross Thomas L.,
Shah J. J.,
Ma Lindsey
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
prenatal diagnosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.956
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1097-0223
pISSN - 0197-3851
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0223(200008)20:8<615::aid-pd855>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - medicine , fetal echocardiography , fetus , cardiology , ductus venosus , prenatal diagnosis , pericardial effusion , regurgitation (circulation) , pregnancy , gestation , obstetrics , genetics , biology
Diagnosis of twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) syndrome is a rare fetal anomaly that can be misdiagnosed on prenatal ultrasound. We confirmed the use of colour‐flow Doppler for prenatal diagnosis of TRAP syndrome and used serial fetal echocardiography for non‐invasive evaluation of the fetus. A patient with twin intrauterine pregnancy was referred to our centre with suspected intrauterine fetal demise following a 16 week ultrasound. Serial colour‐flow Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated retrograde arterial flow in an acardiac twin. Following diagnosis of TRAP syndrome, serial fetal echocardiography was employed to follow the normal twin for signs of heart failure, including right atrial dilation, tricuspid regurgitation and pericardial effusion. When early signs of fetal heart failure were suspected a viable female infant was delivered at 32 weeks' gestation. We suggest that serial fetal echocardiography represents a non‐invasive approach that can be used to follow fetal cardiac function of the normal twin in TRAP syndrome. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.